What Are Miranda Rights, and Why Do They Matter in Your Criminal Case?
Do you believe police officers may have violated your Miranda rights while placing you under arrest recently? If so, speak with a Miranda rights attorney as soon as you can to determine what to do next.
You should also ensure that you understand your Miranda rights and why they matter in a criminal case. This will emphasize the importance of your Miranda rights and help determine whether law enforcement may have violated them during your arrest.
Discover everything you need to know about your Miranda rights below.
What Are Miranda Rights?
Miranda rights stem from a 1966 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the now-infamous Miranda v. Arizona case. This ruling revealed that police officers placing people under arrest must inform them of their legal rights before they begin questioning them about suspected crimes.
Miranda rights provide people with the following rights:
- The right to remain silent
- The right to an attorney during police questioning
- The right to have an attorney appointed if a person cannot afford one
Police officers must also issue a Miranda warning when arresting people. They must advise those being arrested that anything they say may be used against them in court.
Miranda rights are based on certain Constitutional rights that Americans have, including the Fifth Amendment. They offer coercion safeguards to people who are arrested and protect them from unjust custodial interrogations.
Why Do Miranda Rights Matter in Your Criminal Case?
Miranda rights matter in your criminal case for many different reasons. First and foremost, a Miranda rights attorney can push for the exclusion of statements you provided to police before your Miranda rights were read following an arrest.
Your Miranda rights might also prevent you from saying anything to police officers that could come back to bite you later. Once your rights are read, you’ll know that you can sit and stay quiet during a police interrogation without worrying about facing penalties for doing so.
Additionally, your Miranda rights are important because they pave the way to a fair legal process while leveling the playing field during your initial arrest. They ensure proper law enforcement conduct by stopping police officers from trying to coax you into confessing to a crime when you have the right to remain silent.
What Should You Do If Your Miranda Rights Were Violated?
If police officers didn’t notify you of your rights while placing you under arrest, this is a clear Miranda rights violation. Your Miranda rights may have also been violated if police officers only shared some of your rights with you.
You should sit down with a Miranda rights attorney to discuss your Miranda rights and the actions of police officers during your arrest. If you said or did something that could harm your criminal case before you were read your rights, a Miranda rights attorney might be able to keep your statements or actions out of your legal proceedings.
Contact a Miranda Rights Attorney To Schedule a Consultation
Miranda rights play a huge part in the average criminal case. If your Miranda rights were violated, it could change the trajectory of your case and make your defense stronger than it would be otherwise.
Trust Michael White, P.A., an experienced Miranda rights attorney, to provide you with sound legal representation. He can analyze your criminal case from every angle and help you build a nuanced and holistic defense against the charges you’re currently facing.
Give us a call at (954) 707-0850 for more information on the legal services we can provide to guide you throughout your criminal case.